Some crafty digital manipulation went into this controversial ad linking diabetic amputations and oversized soda portions.

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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25, 2012 — The New York City Department of Health made headlines recently with a provocative campaign highlighting the connection between type 2 diabetes, portion sizes, and obesity. Now it's come out that the photo featured in the ad was digitally altered to fit the ad's message.

In the ad, three full soda cups — small, medium, and large — are arranged in size order, with a diagonal line labeling them as "then" (the smallest cup) to "now" (the largest). In the background sits an overweight man whose right leg has been amputated at the knee; his crutches lean against the wall behind him. A red banner reads, "Portions Have Grown: So Has Type 2 Diabetes, Which Can Lead to Amputations."

But in today's New York Times it was reported that the man in the photograph isn't actually an amputee — instead, the advertising agency digitally removed his right leg at the knee. It's also not known whether the subject of the photograph actually has diabetes, and according to the Times, the photographer who took the picture doesn't know the man's identity.

Previous NYC Health Department campaigns have used real people coping with medical conditions, including ex-smokers who had lost their fingertips or contracted throat cancer. Asked about the controversy, John Kelly, a spokesman for the department, said: “Sometimes we use individuals who are suffering from the particular disease; other times we have to use actors.”

The campaign's overall message is that reducing portion sizes can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity and poor eating habits. Amputation is a risk for people with diabetes whose blood sugar levels are not under control.

"These are hard-hitting images because we really felt we need to drive home a point that large portions are not completely benign," Thomas Farley, the city's health commissioner, told Reuters when news of the campaign first hit. But the American Beverage Association, a trade association representing non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers and distributors, accused the department of using "scare tactics."

Do you think this type of digital manipulation is dishonest? Or is it important to get the message out, no matter what it takes? Let us know in the comments.

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